Dual welder



U. S. DUNN June 13, 1950 DUAL WELDER 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1947 INVENTOR. Ulysses S. Dunn attorneys U. S. DUNN DUAL WELDER June 13, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1947 affarn e ys June 13, 1950 u. s. DUNN 2,511,050

DUAL WELDER Filed March 24, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvmvmz. U/ysses S. Dunn af/omeys U. S. DUNN DUAL WELDER June 13, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 24, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

5. Dunn afforneys U. S. DUNN DUAL WELDER June 13, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 24, 1947 s N 0 m m. m m5 0 F a s n, UM y .B

U. S. DUNN DUAL WELDER June 13, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 24, 1947 INVENTOR. Ulysses S. Dunn BY M 547 afforn eys June 13, 1950 Filed March 24, 1947 U. s. DUNN DUAL WELDER 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Ulysses S. Dunn BY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUAL WELDER Ulysses S. Dunn, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application March 24, 1947, Serial No. 736,689

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements .in welding apparatus, and particularly to a unit which is especially arranged to be selectively used for either spot welding or arc welding oper- 'ations.

Weldin units intended to be used either as spot welding or as arc welding units have been previously known, as exemplified by the disclosure in the Patent No. 1,506,698, issued to Charles B. Waters. I have, however, provided a new and improved welding unit which can be selectively used either for spot welding or for arc welding and with full efliciency in either case. My improved unit provides means for obtaining a continuously variable output current between the maximum and minimum limits when using the unit either as a spot welder or as an arc welder. If desired, the spot welding elements can be eliminated and the unit used solely for arc welding. On the other hand, if it is known that the unit is to be used only for spot welding, those elements which are alternately used only for arc welding may be eliminated so that there can be a corresponding decrease in the cost of manufacture of the unit if it is to be used for only asingle purpose, although with my novel and improved construction the entire unit, which can be used for either type of welding, will normally cost only from 50 to 70 percent of the combined cost of two independent units of conventional design and intended to be used solely for spot welding and for arc welding purposes.

The improved unit includes a novel actuating lever system for applying the spot welding pressure to the work pieces between the electrodes and for initiating and terminating the welding current at the proper time after the welding pressure is applied and before it is released. A novel switch is included in this system and is adapted to be used selectively to give a short impulse of current for spot welding operations or to be continuously closed to afford a steady supply of current for arc welding operations. When used as a spot welder, full adjustments are provided to allow the machine to handle various thicknesses of work, to vary the welding current, to control the welding pressure, and to control the length of time of application of the welding current. When used as a spot welder, the efliciency of the unit is increased by the use of an integral spot welding secondary coil and electrode holding arms, the secondary coil being resilient so as to return to its initial positio with the electrodes separated after the spot welding operation is completed. By making the spot welding secondary and the electrode holding arms in one piece, a considerable gain in efficiency is effected because of the fact that there are no electrical joints between the secondary coil and the electrode arms. One of the features which makes my unit particularly adaptable for use either as a spot welder or as an arc welder is a novel form of transformer which has two relatively fixed secondary coils which are selectively used for spot weldin or arc welding operations, there being a movable primary coil which cooperates with the two aforesaid secondary coils in all positions to provide a continuous variable output current in either secondary when the unit is being used as a spot welder or an arc welder.

In addition to the movable primary coil in the transformer, I have effectively increased the range of control of current output in either the spot welding secondary or in the arc welding secondary, by using adjustably positionable shunt cores which are movable with respect to the fixed shunt cores attached to the transformer core together with the movable adjustable primary coil.

While it has been known to provide a single welding transformer with both spot welding and arc welding secondaries, as exemplified in the Patent No. 1,506,698 to Charles B. Waters, and it has also been previously known to provide a continuously variable welding transformer by moving one of the transformer coils with respect to the other, as exemplified by the disclosure in the Patent No. 2,283,? 12 to A. U. Welch, Jr., so far as I know it has not previously been proposed, prior to my invention, to provide a movable primary coil in a welding transformer which is movable with respect to two fixed secondary coils to provide a continuously variable output of either arc welding or spot welding current, nor has it previously been proposed to extend the range of adjustment provided by the movable primary coil by at the same time shifting relatively movable shunt cores within the fixed cores of the transformer.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to provide a new and improved welding unit which can be selectively used for either spot welding or for arc welding purposes.

It is also a important object of my invention to provide a new and improved transformer for a combined spot welding or arc welding unit and which will afford a continuous variation in the output current of either the spot welding portion or the arc welding portion of the unit.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a novel welding transformer which will give a continuously variable welding current whether the transformer is used in a spot welder or in an arc welder.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel control lever and electric supply switch combination which will insure the proper sequential application of welding pressure, current supply and cut-01f, and release of the welding pressure, so that proper spot welds will be made without burning of the work pieces or of the spot welding electrodes.

It is another object of my invention to provide in a combined spot welding and arc welding unit, a novel switch mechanism and lever system which can be selectively used to apply a short, properly timed supply of current to the work pieces when used as a spot welder, or to supply a continuous.

welding current when used as an arc welder.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of a novel unitary integral secondary coil combined with electrode holding arms so that there results a minimum of loss of current between the spot welding secondary and the electrodes carried by the electrode arm.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel combined spot welding secondary and integral arrangement of electrode arms to provide a minimum of electric losses between the secondary and the electrodes held by the arms, wherein the secondary coil is sufficiently resilient to allow the electrode arms to be moved towards each other to enable the electrodes to engage and press the work pieces together and to disengage the electrodes and return them to their open position after the spot weld is completed.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the attached drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a welder embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the operating lever system and switch mechanism of the spot welding portions of the welder of Figure 1, the machine being shown with its electrodes fully separated to allow work to be inserted therebetween;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the work clamped between the electrodes but with the current still on;

Figure 4 is a partial view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the relative positions of the lever system when the current switch is closed;

Figure 5 is a partial view similar to Figure 4 showing the relative positions of the lever system after the current switch has been opened;

Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a two turn spot welder secondary having integral electrode arms, in accordance with my invention;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a two turn spot welder secondary having integral electrode arms, of the type shown schematically in Figures 2, 3 and 6, and in accordance with the illustrative working embodiment shown in Figures to 14;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of dual purpose transformer adapted to be used in a dual welder;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic representation of another form of dual purpose transformer adapted to be used in a dual welder;

Figure 10 is longitudinal vertical sectional view of the machine of Figure 1, taken substantially along the line l'0l0- of Figure 11;

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view substantially along the line lll| of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view subsubstantially along the line l2l'2 of Figure 10 and looking toward the front of the cabinet;

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional view substantially along the line l3-l3 of Figure 10;

Figure 14 is a transverse sectional view substantially along the line I l-l4 of Figure 10. Referring to the drawings, several important phases of the invention are described and shown schematically in Figures 2 to 9, inclusive.

Figures 2 to 5 are a schematic representation of the lever and operating switch mechanism of the spot welder of Figure 1. In these figures, as in Figure 1, a cabinet 30 houses portions of the operating lever mechanism, the transformer, and the operating switch. Protruding from the front of the cabinet are a top electrode arm 31 and lower electrode arm 32, which form the integral ends of a two-turn spot welding secondary coil 33, as will be described. Upper and lower electrodes 34 and 35 are adjustably secured at the outer ends of the upper and lower arms 3| and 32 by clamping devices 36 and 37, respectively. The lower electrode arm 32 is secured and insulated at three points 38 to a fixed support 39 within the cabinet 30, so that the lower arm 32 has a fixed position and supports the secondary coil 33 and the integral upper electrode arm 3|. As will be explained later, there is sufficient resiliency within the secondary coil 33 to allow the upper electrode arm 3| to be forcibly moved downwardly from the open position of Figure 2 to the clamping position of Figure 3 wherein a pair of work pieces 40 and 4| are clamped between the electrodes 34 and 35 so that they can be spot welded.

At 42 is'indicated a fixed housing lying in a vertical transvers plane within the cabinet 30 for a transformer core (not shown). A lever 43 is pivotally mounted upon the housing 42, a indicated at 44. At its forward end, the lever 43 is aifixed to a flange 45 on the inner end of the upper arm 3!, as by screws 46. The pivot 44 is located in a transverse vertical plane which bisects the secondary coil 33, and at th midpoint of the vertical dimension of the coil 33. At its rear end, the lever 43 has a pivoted connection 41 to the upper end of a push-rod 4B.

A pressure lever 56 having a forward leg 49 and a rear leg 50 is pivotally mounted at 5| to a fixed support 52 within the cabinet 30. The rear leg 50 of the pressure lever has a pivotal connection 53 to a pedal lever 54, the lever 54 also having a pivotal connection at 55 to the lower end of the push-rod 48. A compression or return spring 58 is mounted upon the push-rod 48 and compressed between an adjustable nut 59 on the push-rod and a member 60 which is fixed with relation to the cabinet 36. At th end of the forward leg 49 of the pressure lever 56, a pressure spring rod Bl has a sliding connection therewith, as by passing through a hole in the leg 49. The upper end of the rod 6| is fixedly clamped to a bracket 35 fixed with respect to the cabinet 30. A welding pressure compression spring 62 is mounted upon the rod SI and compressed between the leg 49 of lever 56 and an adjustabl nut 63 threaded onto the rod 6|. The position of the nut 63 upon the rod 6| is indicative of the force with which the work pieces 40 and 4! are clamped between the electrodes 34 and 35, as will be explained, and for that reason a scale 64 (Figure 12 only) is mounted in a fixed position with respect to the cabinet and indicates the clamping force or welding pressure by reading the position of the nut 63 with respect to-the scale.

The rear leg 50 of the pressure lever 56 .is arranged to actuate a switch 66 in the primary circult of the transformer that .is mounted within the housing 32. [as shown in Figures .2 to 5, the switch 56 includes an insulating support member 5'! fixedly mounted within the cabinet 30 in a position substantially over the end portion of the rear leg 55 of the pressure lever 55. A second insulating support member 63 is suitably mounted for guided movement towards and away from the member 5'! by means which will be shown in the detailed drawings, Figures and 15. A compression spring '69 on a central rod 10 urges the insulating support member 68 to its upward position in which it is shown in Figure 2.

The insulating support member 6'! carries a pair of electrical contacts H which are connected in series to an electrical lead 12 in one side of the circuit from the power supply source, and the oth r contact H is connected to one side of the transformer primary. The other lead 23! from th power supply source is connected to the other side of the transformer primary. The second or upper support member 68 carries a pair of contacts '53 which are connected together by a lead it. It will be apparent that when the support member 58 is pushed downwardly so that the mating contacts ll and 13 are in engagement, the

circuit to the primary of the transformer will be completed, and a spot welding current will be supplied by the secondary coil 33 through the electrode arms 3| and 32 to the electrodes 34 and 35.

The rod It has a sliding connection through the insulating members 6'! and 68, and has on its bottom a pole piece 15 for engagement with the poles of a magnet It on the rear leg 50 of the pressure lever. top end of the rod IQ between the insulating member 58 and a stop pin i8 urges the rod 10 and the pole piece 15 upwardly with respect to the insulating member 63. Thus th compression spring i? will permit a further downward movement of the rod Hi after the pairs of contacts I! and is have come into engagement. Only a limited amount of such relative downward movement of the rod H3 is permitted by the spring 11,

however, before its coils are compressed against each other and stop further relative movement of the rod. During operation of the spot welder, the rod ill will be pulled to the bottom of its stroke by the magnet i6, and continued movementdownward of the magnet 16 will release the pole piece so that the rod 10 and the upper contacts '13 will spring upwardly under the influence of springs '69 and Ti. A third spring 79 is mounted on the rod it between the pole piece '15 and the fixed insulating support member 61, and serves as a buffer to cushion the upward movement of the aforesaid elements after their release by the magnet.

The operation of the spot welder is shown in its sequential steps in Figures 2-5. The function of the return spring 53 is to push the push-rod .8 downwardly so as to counter-balance and raise the pedal lever 54 to its highest position and at the same time return the upper arm 3| to its open position. The resilience of the secondary coil assists in this by holding the electrode arms open as in Figure 2 and the adjustment provided by nut 59 assists in returning arm 3| to a definite position. The electrodes 34 and Y35 have been adjusted in the upper and lower electrode arms 3! and 32 so that the arms are approxi- A compression spring 11 on the 6 mately' parallel when the electrodes 34 and 35 close upon the work as they are in FigureB.

Figure 2 therefore shows the position of the spot welder when .it is at rest. It will be seen that the pedal lever 54 is in its extreme upward position at its forward end. The electrode arms 3| and 32 are comparatively widely separated. The pressure of the return spring 58 has been adjusted by the nut 59 so as to hold the system in the position shown in Figure 2. The pressure lever 56 is urged in a clockwise direction by the pressure spring 62, which has been adjusted by the nut 53 to apply the proper welding pressure to the work pieces and Al. The switch contacts II and 13 are separated so that no current is being supplied to the welder. Figure 3 shows the relative position of the parts when the lever :54 has been manually depressed through about half of its total stroke so as to bring the electrodes 34 and 35 against the work pieces 4|! and Al. Once this position has been reached, there can be no further rotation of the lever 43 in a clockwise direction except a very slight movement due to the natural spring in the parts as the pressure against the work piece is increased, as will be described. Since the push-rod 48 has therefore reached the end of its upward stroke, the pivot at its bottom becomes a fixed pivot about which the lever 54 rotates during its further downward movement. When the pedal lever has been depressed to the position shown in Figure 3, the pressure lever '56 has been rotated counterclockwise slightly so as to slightly compress the pressure spring 62 and to pull the upper contact '13 slightly downwardly, although they have considerable more distance to move before they engage the lower contacts H. However, spring 62 may have been so adjusted by the nut 63 as to prevent any appreciable movement of lever 56 up to this point, so that the pivot 53 has been a fixed pivot up to thi point, depending on the relative pressure of spring 62 as compared to spring 58 in relation to their lever ratios.

Since the pivot 55 has now become a fixed point, Figure 4 shows the relative positions of the parts when the pedal lever 54 has been further depressed towards the bottom of its stroke. In Figure 4, the contacts H and 13 have just engaged so asto close the circuit to the transformer primary through the leads T2 and T4 by closing the switch 66.

While the lever system has been moving from the position of Figure -3 to the position of Figure 4, the pressure lever 53 has been rotated counterclockwise so as to compress the welding pressure spring 62. The force applied by the forward leg 49 of the pressure lever to compress the spring 62 is transmitted back through the lever system to the electrodes 34 and 35 so a to apply the intended welding pressure to the work piece between the electrodes before the welding current is turned on. The pressure applied by the electrodes to clamp the Work piece between them is thus a function of the ratio of the lever system, the strength of the spring 62, and the position of the pressure adjusting nut 63 on the rod 6|. The relative strengths of the return spring 58 and the pressure spring '62 are such that there is comparatively little if any compression of the pressure spring 62 while the return spring 58 is being compressed during the upward movement of push-trod 43 to close the electrodes against the work, and "the counterclockwise rotation of the pressure lever carrying the magnet during this phase of the operation of the ma- 7 chine has been exaggerated in Figure 3 for illustrative purposes.

By the described lever and switch System, the proper welding pressure has been applied to the work pieces to clamp them together between the electrodes before the welding current is supplied by the engagement of the contacts H and I3, and with the described system there is no way for this welding current to be supplied until the proper welding pressure isapplied to the work pieces to clamp them together.

Because of the fact that the pressure lever carrying the magnet does not start to move to compress the pressure spring 62 or to close the switch 66 until the work pieces have been clamped by the electrodes, the welding pressure is always duplicated at the weld within rather wide limits of electrode Spacing and weld thickness.

Thus it is impossible for the current to be supplied to the electrodes until they have closed on the work pieces with a predetermined pressure. The welding current is supplied to the electrodes and then disconnected while the pedal lever 54 is being manually depressed from the position of Figure 4 to the position of Figure 5. Once the contacts H and 13 are engaged as they are in Figure 4, the magnet 16 continues to pull the pole piece l5 and the rod downwardly because the rod It can slide vertically with respect to the insulating support member 68 as previously described. However, the rod can only be moved down in this manner until it is stopped by the closing of the coils of the spring 1'! against each other as also previously described. For this reason, while the magnet 16 is moving to the bottom of its stroke to the position shown in Figure 5, the spring 11 will become solid and stop the movement of the pole piece 75 to cause it to separate from the magnet 16 as the magnet continues its downward movement. Once separation has occurred, the spring 69 is sufficiently strong to snap the contact 13 upwardly to open the circuit to the transformer primary and thus discontinue the welding current.

It is ointed out that while the pedal lever 54 is being depressed from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 5, the welding pressure spring 62 is being further compressed so that the welding pressure transmitted through the lever system to the electrodes and work pieces is increasing even while the welding current is being supplied and after it has been disconnected. This increased pressure serves to squeeze the metal of the work pieces together at the instant that it is heated to the lastic state, and to hold it tightly together for an instant after the current is turned oiT.

After the spot weld has been completed and the pedal lever 54 has been fully depressed to the position of Figure 5, it is released and the return spring 58, the spring 62, and the resilient secondary coil 33 return all the mechanism to the position shown in Figure 2 whereupon it is ready for actuation to make another spot weld in the same manner. The work pieces are thus clamped and the current turned on and off again all during the downward movement of the pedal lever 54.

The duration of the interval that the switch 66 is closed to supply the welding current is determined by the speed with which the pedal lever 54 is depressed and is thus controlled by the operator and determined by his experience and skill. Usually the time of application of the cur rent is a fraction of a second. It is customary to specify the duration of spot weld current as a welding time in cycles, the usual reference being to a 60-cycle current. For a specified 6 cycle weld time, the contacts would be engaged for a tenth part of a second where the current is 60-cycles. The length of time of the average spot weld is in the range of from 5 to 20 cycles. Where precision welding is required, an electronic counting device can be inserted in the circuit and the switch 66 becomes a pilot switch in the circuit, the electronic timing device serving to time each weld with precision.

By means of the lever and switch system described, a positive sequence of operation is established between the clamping of the work, the application of the welding pressure therto, the closing of the electric current to apply the welding current, the discontinuation of the welding current, and the release of the welding pressure. It is not possible to apply the welding current until the work pieces have been clamped together with the required welding pressure, and it is impossible to release the Welding pressure until after the welding current has been discontinued if the downward movement of pedal lever 54 is continued to the bottom of its stroke.

It is very important that the above mentioned events occur in their proper sequence. If the welding current is applied before there is sufdcient pressure between the work pieces or the electrodes and work pieces, there occurs a flash at the electrode points and between the work pieces. Holes are burned into the metal of the work pieces and the electrode points are dainaged by having fused metal burned into their faces. If the Welding current should still be continued as the welding pressure is bein released, the same flash and burned metal results, to an even greater extent. If the sequence of pressure and welding current supply is correct but the welding pressure is insufiicient, there is a tendency for the surface of the weld to burn and stick to the points of the electrodes. There is also a tendency for the weld to flash at the interface of the work pieces without making a perfect union.

Another important improvement in my machine is the integral two-turn spot welding sec ondary and electrode arms which eliminate the losses which otherwise occur when the electrode arms are independent of but electrically connected to the secondary. By the use of my integral unit, the electrical losses are eliminated as well as the costs of providing and machining the fittings by which the electrode arms are attached to the secondary coil.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the theory underlying my integral secondary and electrode arms. The integral unit comprises the secondary coil 33 having two turns, the ends 3! and 32 of which project forwardly and lie in a common vertical plane. The ends form the upper and lower electrode arms so that electrodes, such as shown at 34 and 35 in Figures 2-5, may be attached thereto to extend towards each other. The material of the integral unit shown in Figure 6 is of high electrical conductance such as copper or aluminum, etc. of ample cross-sectional area to carry the large welding current required, havingsufficient resiliency so that the two-turn coil 33 may be deformed to bring the ends SI and 32 towards each other in order to clamp the work between the electrodes, and the ends 3| and 32 should be of sufficient rigidity so that they will not be deformed by the force required to clamp the work. It is apparent that the described construction avoids the electrical losses which would otherwise result when the ends or electrode arms 3| and 32 are separate from the coil 33 but electrically connected thereto, with a flexible connection to allow movement of one arm with respect to the other.

Figure 7' illustrates a practical embodiment of an integral secondary coil and electrode arm illustrated schematically in Figure 7. The structure is a one-piece casting of copper or aluminum or any suitable metal having the required properties of conductivity, strength, and resilience. The two turns of the coil 33 are substantially rectangular in plan but with rounded corners, as shown, the straight portions of the coil and its general shape permitting the most effective utili- Zation of the space within the transformer of which the coil 33 forms a part. The electrode arms 3| and 32 are cast with an I-oeam crosssectiorr so that they are very rigid in the vertical plane.

Where the upper electrode arm 3| joins the upper end of the secondary 33, an integral flange 45' is formed for the purpose of attaching the lever 43 previously described in connection with Figure 2. Where the lower electrode arm 32 meets the lower end of the secondary coil, a series of integral bosses 8'4, 85 and 86 are provided whereby the entire unit may be fixed with relation to a stationary part of the machine as described in connection with the reference numbers 38 and 39 of Figure 2. As also previously described in connection with the schematic diagram of Figure 2, the lever 43 is pivoted about a horizontal transverse axis lying substantially equidistant from the top and bottom and the forward and rear ends of the coil 33. The electrodes 3'3 and 34 are adjustably secured within bores in the electrode arms by the clamping devices 36 and 31.

When the unit is mounted in the aforesaid manner and the upper electrode arm 3| is moved towards the lower electrode arm, the front parts of the coilmove closer together and the turns at the back part of the coil move farther apart. When the electrode arm 3| is raised, the aforesaid relative movements of the coils are reversed. In either case, the movements of the forward and rear portions of the coil turns are about a neutral axis which corresponds to the previously described pivot which is the reason that the pivot has been located at that particular point. Locating the pivot at that point assures maximum movement of the upper electrode arm 3| with the least applied force, and also results in the least movement and stress on the turns of the secondary coil 33.

In order to carry the high welding current required, the cross-section of the metal forming the turns of the coil 33' isquite large. With such large cross-sectional area, the coil is very stiff and requires a large force to bring the electrodes 53' and 34 together. In order to reduce the amount of force required, the turns forming the coil have been divided into upper and lower sections 8? and iiii'separated by'a gap 89. Spacing between the upper and lower sections 81' and 88 is maintained by discontinuin the gap 89 in a small region midpoint of the length of the coil and indicated by the reference number 90. The total cross-sectional area. of the upper section 81- together with the lower section 88 equals the CJI cross-sectional area required to carry the welding current. At the same time, the force required to deflect the upper electrode arm 3| to bring the electrode points together is only about oneeighth of that required when the turns of the coil are not split. Also, the mechanical stress within the coil 33 caused by the movement of the arm 3| is reduced in substantially the same ratio. In a break-down test, when a unit, as shown in Figure '7, was mounted in the manner described, the unit was subjected to four million full-scale deflections without any failure.

It is to be understood that the cross-section of the metal forming the turns of the secondary coil 33 may be of any other proportion which will give the required electrical and mechanical characteristics. I have found however that the proportions illustrated in Figure '7, with the gap 89, provide the most suitable coil having the required characteristics, and also meeting the requirements imposed by the space limitations of the transformer illustrated in the specific construction shown in Figures 10 to 14, inclusive.

My machine also includes a novel transformer which adapts the machine to be used either for spot welding or for'arc welding. My novel transformer affords a simple stepless control for both the spot and the arc welder. Figure 8 illustrates one form of the novel transformer. The transformer core, indicated generally at 94, is of the shell or double section type. It comprises two similar sections 95 and 95 placed together as shown. Each section has a central window I00 therein.

The sections 95 and 9B are preferably of the wound core type and constructed by the method disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 736,688, filed March 24, 1947, and entitled Wound core and method of winding.

A transformer primary coil 9'! is mounted so as to surround the abutting legs 98 and 99 of the core sections 95 and 96, but it is also mounted so it can be moved vertically within the windows |10 so that it can be shifted from the solid line position shown in Figure 8 to a point where it lies partly within an arc welding secondary coil ||l| as indicated by the dotted line position 91A. Indicated at I03 and M are the turns of a twoturn spot welding secondary coil which are relatively fixed with respect to the transformer core 94 except for the slight relative movement between the turns to allow the electrode arms 3| and 32 of Figure 7 to move with respect to each other. The movable primary coil 91 is connected to a suitable source of current by flextible leads l4 and 2M and the arc welding secondary coil |fl| is connected to the arc welding electrodes by leads I06.

Attached to the bottom of the primary coil 91 for movement therewith and within the windows I00 are a pair of moveable shunt cores I01. In the space in the windows between the spot welder coil and the arc welder coil IN, and attached to each outer leg of the transformer core 94, are a pair of fixed shunt cores ms. The location of the fixed shunt cores I08 is such that they lie in substantially the same horizontal plane as the movable shunt cores |0'| when the movable primary coil 9'! is at the upper end of its travel, and lying entirely within the turns I03 and I04 of the spot welding secondary coil. While the parts are so proportioned that the movable primary can lie entirely within the spot welding secondary as shown, it is necessary to limit the travel of the primary coil in a downward direc- 11 tion so that only about half of its length will lie within the arc welding secondary HJI, or otherwise the arc current would be too great, especially when short-circuited in starting the arc.

When the movable primary coil 91 is entirely within the turns I03 and i114 of the spot welding secondary coil, the movable shunt core I! is in its nearest position relative to the fixed shunt core I68, and the magnetic leakage through the shunt cores H31 and E08 (indicated by the dotted lines) is at maximum no matter whether current is flowing through the spot welding secondary or through the arc welding secondary lill. However, this maximum leakage across the shunt cores It? and H33 does not reduce the current flow through the secondary coil turns H13 and IM because, even though this leakage is at a maximum, it does not cause the magnetic fiux lines to avoid the turns )3 and I M. However, if the arc weldin secondary I0! is in use, the shunt cores it! and I 08 have the effect of reducing t e current in the are secondary coil IIH to a minimum because the leakage through the shunt cores It! and E58 causes the leakage magnetic flux to avoid the arc secondary coil 8515. Therefore, when the movable primary is in the upper position shown in Figure 8, maximum current flow is induced in the spot welding secondary turns ")3 and IM but a minimum current is induced in the arc welding secondary ifll if that is in use. The control of the current in the arc welding secondary IBI is therefore the combined effect of displacing the primary coil 91 and introducing the movable magnetic shunts l8! and fixed magnetic shunts leB. As the primary coil 97 and the movable shunt core It? are moved down, the distance between the shunt cores H3? and we is increased so that the magnetic leakage is decreased and there results a corresponding increase of the arc current in the secondary 591. The minimum arc current can be made as low as desired by increasing the area of the shunt cores and decreasing the clearance or gap between the fixed shunt and the movable shunt. The maximum arc current may be limited to the maximum rated output of the transformer by limiting the distance the primary coil 91 can enter the arc secondary coil "3|. Thus the arc current can be limited to any desired maximum within the rating of the transformer, by the proportion of the shunt cores and the primary coil travel.

When the primary coil 9? is in the raised position shown in Figure 8, the spot welder output is at a maximum, and equal to that of any conventional spot welder of equivalent electrical design, as determined by core and copper sections. It is not necessary to limit the maximum output of a spot welder as is required with an arc welder, and it is desired to obtain the maximum output from a spot welder consistent with its design and rating. As previously pointed out, the leakage between the movable and fixed shunt cores I01 and I08, which is at its maximum when in the solid line position of Figure 8, does not reduce the induced current in the secondary turns I03 and 1M because this leakage does not cause any lines of magnetic flux to avoid the turns of the spot welding secondary.

It is common practice to vary the output of a spot welder by about 2:1, and 3:1 or better in the case of an arc welder. If the primary coil '91 is moved downward until it is about half way inside the secondary ill], the spot welder output is reduced at least fifty percent, which is sumcient for all ordinary purposes. At the same time, the desired range in the output of the arc welding secondary I0! is obtained when the primary coil 97 is moved from one end to the other end of its travel, as described. A single moving element, the primary coil 91 and the attached shunt core I01, therefore provide the full desired range of output for both the spot welding secondary and the arc welding secondary.

It it is desired to build this transformer so that there is a larger variation in the spot welder output, the construction of Figure 9 can be used. The construction of Figure 9 is similar to that of Figure 8 except that another pair of movable shunt cores 109 have been added to the top of the primary coil 91, and the length of the core window [G6 has been increased so that it is ossible to move the primary coil downward until the top shunt cores I 99 coincide with the fixed shunt cores I08. In this position, the current of the secondary turns H33 and [M is at a minimum, and the current in the arc welding secondary Jill is at a maximum. When the primary 9! is raised to the top of the stroke so that the movable shunt cores 181 are aligned with the fixed shunt cores I 08, then the conditions are reversed. With the additional movable shunt cores I09 added, the output of both the spot welding secondary and the arc welding secondary is variable within wider limits.

It is of course not intended that the spot welder or the arc welder be used simultaneously. Full efficiency is obtained from either, however, when used separately, and any desired output within their rating is obtainable. As mentioned before in connection with Figure 8, the arc current will be too great if the primary is fully inserted into the are secondary NH, and for that reason the primary coil 91 should not be moved all of the way to the bottom of its travel as shown in Figure 9 when using the arc welder. When the transformer of Figure 9 is designed for use in a dual welder, the addition of the movable shunt cores IE9 is intended primarily to extend the range of variation of the output from the spot welder secondary. The transformer of Figure 9 is also adaptable to other uses than as a dual welder transformer. With two secondaries of proper characteristics, it can be used to control the respective output between two circuits so that one increases as the other decreases. It can be used as a load balancing device, or a phase shift control.

The two purpose transformer of Figures 8 and 9 aifords an economy of design and efficiency over two single-purpose spot welding and arc welding units. The user has the use of both a spot welder-and an arc welder, yet the total connected load and maximum power demand is only equal to the rating of one unit instead of two units. This is important to the user who is restricted by a limitation on his total connected load, or who pays a penalty power rate based on total connected load. The cost of the combined unit is in the range of 50 to '70 percent of the combined cost of two units of conventional design. As a spot welder alone, or as an arc welder alone, the method of current control by a combination moving coil and shunt core results in a core structure considerably shorter and lighter than a core based on a welder transformer whose control is derived solely from a moving coil.

The transformer described in the preceding paragraph is disclosed and claimed in the divi- 13 sional application Serial No. 123,017, filed "October 22, 1949.

Figures 10 to 14 show the details of construction of a dual welder, shown generally in Figure land operative in accordance with the principles explained in connection with Figures 2 to 9. The supporting stand H3 of Figure 1 merely places the welder at such a height that the electrodes 34.and 35 are at a convenient elevation. In order to arrange the actuating lever system for the spot welder so that it can be operated by foot, afoot lever H4 is mounted upon the stand II3 for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, and the lever I I4 is connected by a connecting rod H5 (Figures 1 and to the lever '54 of Figure 10 which corresponds to the pedal lever 54 of Figure 2. The lever '54 of'Figures 10 to 14 is in two parts 54A and 54B, of which 54B appears in Figure 10. The enclosing cabinet 39 which'houses most of the rest of the welder mechanism is fixedly secured to the top of the supporting stand I I3, as shown in Figure 1.

Referring now :to Figures 10 to 14, the front of the cabinet is formed by a pair of vertical, substantially channel-shaped members H6 and H1 (Figures 1, l1 and 12) having their inner flanges H8 and H9 spaced from each other as shown in Figures 11 and 12. A series of spaced angle brackets I (Figure 13) are welded to the members I I9 and I I1 .at the top thereof. Screws I2'I passing through the angle brackets secure a bridging cover member I22 to the top of the spaced channel members 'I I6 and "H1,

A pair of horizontal and rearwardly extending channel-shaped members I23 and I24 are welded at their forward ends to the bottoms of the memhers ,I I6 and I51, and their bottom flange is spot welded to a horizontal bottom wall I25 of the cabinet 39. Along its two sides and behind the members I I 6 and 'I I1, the wall I25 is extended and bent upwardly to form portions I26 and i2? (Figure 13) of the cabinet side walls. The rear end of the bottom wall i25 is also extended and bent upwardly to the same height as the aforesaid portions I23 and I21, to form a portion I28 (Figure 10) of the cabinet wall. The rear ends of the channel members I23 and I24 are welded to the aforesaid portion I28. The rest of the cabinet structure comprises integral back, top and opposed side wall portions I29, I39, I31 and I32, respectively, as shown best in Figures 1 and 19. Preferably the side and back wall portions 'I3I and I32 are louvered as indicated at I33 in Figures 19 and 11. A hinge I34 connects the back wall I29 to the top of the back wall portion I28 so that the portions of the cabinet structure formed by the wall I29 to I32 can be swung back about the hinge I34 to provide access to the interior of the cabinet 30.

Thus the channel members H6 and I I1, the horizontal channel members 123 and I24, and the bottom wall I25, together with its side extensions, form a rigid structure for housing and supporting the welder mechanism.

Referring to Figures 10, 11 and 12 it will be seen that machine bolts I31, I38 and 139 passing through the bosses 84, 95 and 86, respectively, (see also Figure '1') secure the entire unit shown in Figure 7 between the inner flanges I I8 and III! of the channel members I I S and I I1. The entire unit including the spot welding secondary coil 33 with its integral upper and lower electrode arms 3| and 32 is thus supported within the cabinet, the lower arm 32 being fixed and the coil 33 and the upper electrode arm 3| being movable as previously described. The arm 32 is insulated from the bolts I31, etc., by insulating bushings I35 around the bolts, and from the channel flanges by insulating washers I36 (Figures 11 and 12) A "transformer core housing 42 (see also Figure 2) is secured by bolts I40 (Figure 11) and angle brackets'numbers I4I to the top webs of the channel'mem'bers I23 and I24. As best shown in Figure 13, the transformer housing 42 is of a two piece construction including a U-shaped bottom member having side legs I42 and I43 with an integral bottom member I44, the U-shaped member being closed on its top by a horizontal transverse top member I45. Both the top member I45 and the U-shaped bottom member are of channelshaped iron with their flanges extending inwardly. These side flanges have been cut away to allow the U-shaped bottom member to be bent into the form shown in Figure 13 there being only a slight gap remaining between the cutaway portions of the side flanges as indicated at I46, after the bottom member is formed into a U-shape.

A two-piece transformer core of the type illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 is fitted within the housing 42, the two parts of the core being indicated by the reference numbers 95 and 96 of Figure 13. Each of the two cores is of the wound type disclosed in. my aforesaid copending application Serial Number 736,688 and the lines I43 and I of Figure 13 indicate where the cores have been cut for the purpose of inserting the primary and secondary coils of the transformer around the central leg of the core but between the central leg and the two outer legs as arranged in Figure 13.

The side flanges of the top member I45 adjacent each end thereof and also the side flanges of the side members I42 and I43 adjacent their upper ends are turned outwardly to provide opposed pairs of parallel ears I 5I and I52, as shown in Figures 11 and 13. Screws I53 passing through the aforesaid ears serve to clamp the top member I45 against the top of the core parts 95 and 95 to clamp them within the housing 42. Midpoint of the ends of the top member I45 and extending between the flanges thereof is an angle member I54 which may be welded to the top member I45 in the position shown. The angle member I54 is so dimensioned as to enter into the space between the core parts I41 and I48 at the top thereof and serve to assist in keeping them closed at the joining'lines I49 and I 50.

A relatively thin sheet of fiber insulating material I55 substantially surrounds the assembled core parts I41 and I48, lying between them and the assembled transformer core housing 42. This sheet of insulating material need not be in one piece, but may be of two pieces or more, as indicated at .155 and I56 of Figure 13.

As shown in Figure 13 the arc felding secondary coil IIII, previously described in connection with Figure 8, is mounted within the core parts and 96, and surrounding the abutting leg portions 98 and 99 thereof. Both the spot welding secondary coil 33 and the secondary coil IGI are in vertical alignment about the abutting legs 98 and 99 .and provide a central passageway for the movement of the vertically shiftable primary coil 91 previously described in Figure 8. All of the coils are inserted within the transformer core at the time that the two core parts 95 and 96 are spread apart at their adjoining lines I49 and I50 in the manner described in my aforesaid copending application.

As previously described, the spot welding secondary coil 33 is not supported by the transformer core housing 42 but by the bolts I31, I38 and I39 and the flanges H8 and H9, as best shown in Figure 12. The arc welding secondary coil l9! however is retained in place within the housing 92 by means of two fixed shunt cores I98 best shown in Figures 13 and 10. The shunt cores I98 are each composed of a series of thin strips of metal in the conventional manner, but the top strips I68 are of substantial thickness so as to receive the threaded ends of machine screws I6I to secure the coil I8! and the shunt cores I98 within the housing. As shown in Figure 13 the screws it! pass through the outer walls of the core parts 95 and 96, through the side members I92 and I93 of the housing 42 and through the brackets I62 and I63 which are welded to the exterior of the side members I42 and I43. Thus the secondary coil IIII is held in place in the bottom of the windows I60 in the core parts by means of the fixed shunt cores I88 which are in turn held in place by the screws I6I. The secondary coil MI is secured against shifting in a horizontal plane by means of locating pins I64 adjacent the ends of the shunt cores I98 and which protrude vertically downwardly therefrom to engage the outer surface of the core IUI at four equally spaced points adjacent to the top thereof.

The movable primary coil 91 is secured to a pair "of vertically extending slide members I66 (Figures 19 and 11) which are connected together at their upper ends by a yoke I61. The primary coil 91 is wound in a substantially square form so that its windings parallel as closelyas possible the substantially square cross sections of the abutting legs 98 and 99 of the two core parts 95 and 99. The two slide members I66 lie between two diametrically opposed portions of the primary coil 91 and the front and rear surfaces of the abutting legs 98 and 99 of the core parts 95 and 98, and the primary coil 91 is secured to the slide members I99 by a pair of straps I68 (Figure which may be secured at their upper ends to the slide members I66 as by welding, and may be secured at their lower ends to the same slide members as by screws I69.

Also clamped within the straps I68 but below the primary coil 91 are a pair of transversely extending blocks I19 of insulating material such as Bakelite or the like. The blocks I19 have attached thereto at their end portions, by the screws I1! the movable shunt cores I91 previously described in connection with Figure 8. In Figures 19 and 13 the movable primary coil 91 is at the bottom of its stroke corresponding to its position as shown at 91A in Figure 8. When it is raised to the upper end of its stroke the movable shunt core I91 will be directly in line with the fixed shunt cores I98 as is shown in the solid line position in Figure 8.

The forward and rear portions of the primary coil 91, as viewed in Figure 10, are spaced from the abutting central legs 98 and 99 of the core portions by the sliding members I66. In order to prevent engagement of the primary coil 91 with the right or left hand faces of the abutting sections 98 and 99 as viewed in Figure 13, metallic wear liners I12 and I13 (Figure 13) are provided between the movable coil 91 and stationary legs 98 and 99 of the core parts. Each liner is secure to the primary coil 91 for movement therewith by reason of the fact that it is spot welded to one of the relatively thick top strips I 14 of the laminated movable shunt core I81 before the primary coil is assembled to the movable shunt core.

If it is desired to include a second pair of movable shunt cores as shown in Figure 9, the transformer core parts 95 and 96 will be slightly longer so that the windows I99 therein will be slightly longer as described in connection with Figure 9. The additional movable shunt cores I99 will then be secured to the top of the movable primary coil in the same manner and by the same straps I69 shown in Figure 10.

The movable primary coil 91 with its associated shunt core elements I91 and the slide members' I69 which carry them move up and down within the windows I are raised or lowered by turning a knob I16 which is suitably afiixed as by a set screw to the outer end of a horizontal rotary shaft I11 which protrudes through the side wall of the cabinet 39.

The casting I18 (Figures 10, 11 and 13) is secured to the top surface of the removable top member I45 of the transformer core housing 42 as by means of bolt I19 (Figure 10). The previously described slide members I58 extend through slots I15 provided for their passage in the said top member I45 and the slide members protrude a substantial distance above the top member I 45 where their upper ends are connected by the previously described yoke I 61. The casting I18 has an upwardly extending hollow boss I89 which supports and journals for rotation a vertical shaft I8I having worm threads I82 along its upper end.

The worm threads I82 have a mating engagement with a threaded bore in the yoke 51 so that when the shaft I8! is rotated, it will raise or lower the yoke I61 in accordance with the direction of rotation of the shaft. The shaft I8I is enlarged at its bottom at I89 to keep it from moving upwardly within the boss I88. Axial movement in the other direction is prevented by a collar I84 which is afiixed to the shaft in any suitable manner as by a set screw I threaded through the collar and seating in a recess in the shaft I8I'. The casting I18 has formed integrally therewith a pair of upwardly extending bosses I89 and I81 (Figure 11) which journal the rotary shaft I11 for rotation. Axial movement of the shaft is prevented by collars I88 and I89 disposed on opposite sides of the boss I81 and. suitably affixed to the shaft as by set screws. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the collar I89 0n the vertical shaft I8I has integral therewith the helical worm gear I911. The collar I88 on the horizontal shaft I11 has integral with it the helical worm gear I9I which has a meshing engagement with the helical gear I90. Rotation of the external knob I16 therefore rotates the horizontal shaft I11 to raise or lower the yoke I 91 to adjust the vertical position of the movable primary coil 91 and the movable shunt or shunts carried thereby. There is sufiicient friction between the relatively moving parts so that the position of the movable primary coil cannot be disturbed except by rotation of the knob I16.

An indicator pointer I92 is secured to the front of the yoke I61 by the screw I93 so that it moves up and down with the yoke in accordance with the position of the primary coil. The indicator pointer I92 extends to the front of the cabinet where it protrudes through an indicator scale plate I94 which is secured by screws I95 to a pair of angle brackets I96 welded to the inner surfaces of the inner flanges H8 and H9 on the channel members H6 and I I1. The indicator 17 scale plate I94 (Figure '12) has an opening I91 through which the pointer I92 protrudes so that it can be read in connection with either of the two scales on the opposite sides of the vertical slot 1'91. The scale on one side of the slot is graduated in terms of amperes of output for the spot welder, and on the other side is graduated in terms of amperes of output of the arc welder.

Thus as we have described in connection with Figures 8 and 9 the maximum spot welding output current will be obtained when the primary coil-9! is at the upper end of its stroke, and the minimum spot welding current will be obtained when the coil is at the bottom end of its stroke. At this latter position the maximum arc welding current is obtained. Therefore the particular scale 'on the plate I84 that will be read in connection with the pointer I92 will depend upon whether the spot welder is being used or whether the arc welder is being used.

The lever mechanism which actuates the electrode arms 3| and 32 to clamp the work pieces between the electrodes, and to sequentially supply and disconnect the current to the transformer primary, will now-be described.

In Figure 2, the lever 43 is shown as a single lever but the corresponding lever in the illustrated embodiment of Figures 10 to 14 comprises two spaced and parallel levers 43A and 433 on opposite sides of the transformer housing 42. At their forward ends, the levers 43A and 43B are secured asby cap screws I98 to a transverse casting I99'which forms a yoke to connect them together at their forward ends. Midpoint of its length, the transverse casting IE9 is provided with a flange 2819 which has a mating engagement with the flange'45 on the inner end of the upper electrode arm 31, and to which it is secured by the screws 46.

The rear end of the arms 43A and 43B are connected togetherby a transverse rod 2!]! which is' rotatable therein to form the pivoted connection identified as 4'! in Figure '2, the push rod "passing-throughthetransverse rod and being fixedly but adiustably secured thereto by the two nuts 293 (Figure 14).

The two side members I42 and. d3 ofthe transformer core housing 42 are further secured in vertical position and reinforced by-a pair of braces 204 (Figure 11*) which are welded to the members and extend forwardly where they are secured by bolts 205 to the outer webs of the channel members H 6 and Ill which form the forward part of the cabinet 35). As shown in Figure 13 the brackets 162 and with the braces 2M, and-"the side members I42 and I43, on each side of thetransformer core housing, are'bored to receive pivot pins 258 and ese pins correspond 'to thezpivot 44 of Figure 2, and'their common axis is transverse cf thespot welding secondary coil-s3xandmidpoint of its height and fore and aft dimension. as described-in connection withFigure '2. Pin 2st passes through the leverr43A and the corresponding leg 199A of the transverse casting +99, Thepinjziis may be secured against axialmovement by a screwZHl in the leg I99A engaging a central peripheral groove in thepinZlS. The other lever 43B and assoa dwa leg Iii-3B are similarly pivotally mounted upon-the transformer core housing by the :pin' ZZIlS. It is thus apparent thatthe system of elements including therod levers 43A and43B and the transverse casting I99 correspond to the lever 43 of Figure 2, except that it is bifurcated to goaround th transformer spot Welding operations.

18 core housing 42, the sole difference being th do! tails of a practical welder as compared to the diagrammatic drawing of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 14 and 10, the push rod 48 is journalled for sliding movement through an inverted V-shaped member 2II which is secured at its lower ends to the channel members I23 and I24 by screws 2I2. The v-r-shaped member cor-. responds to the fixed memberfill of Figure 2, and thus forms the upper stop for the coiled return spring 58 through which the push rod 48. passes.

A fixed support 52, corresponding to the one. shown at 52 in Figure 2, is secured to the under-v side of the angle bracket members I (Figure 10) by bolts 2I3 (Figure 13) in transverse align-v ment with the bolts I40 (Figure 11) which fasten. the same angle bracket members to the tops of the channel members 123 and I24. The support is bifurcated as shown in Figure 13 and holdsthe pin 5| corresponding to the pivot SI of Figure 2 The pressure lever 56 has a central portion which is U-shaped in cross section as shown in Figure 13, with its legs extending between the legs of the bifurcated support '52 and journalling the lever for rotation upon the pinEI. Atits forward end its leg 49 is bored to pass the pressure spring rod 61 which mounts the welding pressure spring .62 and is threaded into a, fixed bracket 65 and locked thereto bya nut 2. Ad! justment of the welding pressure spring is by the enlarged knurled nut 63 threaded onto the rod SI and the welding pressure is indicated by the vertical position .of the nut 63 with respect to a scale on a plate 64. The plate .64 visattached by screws 2I5 to a pair of brackets 2| 8 affixed to the inner webs H8 and H9 of the vertical channel members I I6 and I I1, andthe bracket 65 is carried by the plate 64, being spot welded thereto.

A cam member 2H, having an inclined upper surface, is suitably attached as by threading, to the lower end of the pressure rod GI so as to be rotatable about the axis of the rod, and is mtatable by means of an attached handle-2 [8 (Figure 12) for a purpose tobe described.

The rear leg 50 of the pressure lever 56 isattached to the lever by screws 2I9, and at its rear end it carries the magnet I6. To the rear of the pin 5| the legs of the U-sh-aped portion of pressure lever 55 carry the pivot pin 53 corresponding to the pivot .53 of Figure 2. In the illustrative embodiment of Figures 10 to 15, the pedal lever 54 of Figure 2 is .inthe form of two parallel spaced bars 54 nd 54B (Figures 12 and 13) which straddle the bifurcated fixed support 52 and arepivotally attached to the pressure lever 56 by the pivot pin 53. The two spaced bars 54Aand 5M3 are connectedat their forward ends by a rod 222 into which the upper end of the connecting rod H5 is threaded, to connect the parallel bars 54A and 54B to the foot lever H4 of Figure 1. At-their-rear ends the parallel bars 54A and 54B are connected by a rod 223 into which the lower end of the push rod 48 is threaded. The return spring adjusting nut 59 is threaded onto-the push rod and can be turned to vary the compression-in the return spring 58 which is confined between thenut and the V-shaped member M I.

Figures 10 and 11 show the details of construction of the switch 66 described in connection with Figure -2-for controlling the supply of current to the primary coil 9'! of the transformer during The lower insulating support member 61 is fixedly secured to a cross slightly less than I88 degrees. is in the solid line position 2N3 of Figure 11 the 19 piece 225 which is attached to the top of the channel members I 23 and I24 by screws 226 as shown in Figure 11. A pair of diametrically spaced guide pins 22! and 228 extending vertically through the insulating member 61 and the cross piece 225 clamp these two elements together by means of the nuts 229 threaded onto the guide pins. The guide pins 221 and 228 also pass through the upper insulating support member '68 to guide it in its vertical movements towards and away from the insulating support member 61. The compression spring 69 urges the insulating support member 68 to its upper position. The pair of contacts H mounted upon the insulating member 6'! are in position to be engaged by the contacts 13 carried by the insulating member 68 when that member is pulled to the bottom of its stroke in the manner described in connection with Figure 2. The vertical rod ll] which carries the pole piece 15 at its bottom passes through both of the insulating members 6'! and 68 with a sliding fit and is urged towards the upper end of its stroke with respect to the upper member 38 by the compression spring 11, which is retained thereon by the pin 18. The bumper spring 19 between the pole piece I and the lower insulating member 61 cushions the rapid upward movement of the rod when the pole piece is released by the magnet 16 during the course of a normal spot welding sequence of operation. 7

This sequence of operation is exactly the same as that described in connection with the sche- 'matic diagram of Figures 2 to 5, and therefore need not be repeated here.

In Figures 10 and 11, the supply current leads 12 and 23! are shown entering the cabinet through a cable fixture 230. A ground wire 232 comes in through the same fixture and is grounded to any part of the cabinet. The lead 23! is secured within the cabinet to an insulating block and terminal 233 (Figure 11) and then continues upwardly where it passes through a hook 234 and downwardly within the spot welding secondary coil 33 where it is connected to the primary coil 91. The other lead 12 is connected to one of the fixed contacts H on the switch 66. The upper and movable contacts 13 are connected together by the lead M. The circuit of lead 12 continues from the opposite fixed contact I! to the flexible lead 12 (Figure 11) extended thru the wire clamp 234 and terminating in the other end of the primary coil 9'7. The hooks 234 and 235 are integral parts of a formed wire which is connected to the yoke [51 by a screw 236 so that the hooks 234 and 235 move upward and downward together with the movable primary coil 91 and its associated elements, so as to support and guide the flexible leads 23l and 12 as the primary coil is moved vertically.

The two flexible leads Hi3 from the arc welding secondary coil iii! are connected to insulated binding posts 23! and 238, and the arc welding leads 239 and 2 59, (Figures 11 and 1) connected to the same binding posts, pass through suitable fittings in the back of the cabinet. The arc welding lead 239 has an electrode holder 24! at its end as shown in Figure 1, and the other lead 249 may be provided with a clamp (Figure 1) for attachment to the work in the conventional manner.

The cam member 2" underneath the for-ward end of the pressure lever 56 is rotatable through When its handle cam 2!! does not interfere with the free opera tion of lever 56.

When the cam member 2|! is rotated by the handle 2 !8 through an angle of to degrees so that the handle 2 !8 extends forwardly of the machine as indicated by the dotted line position 218A of Figures 10 and 11, its inclined upper surface engages the underside of the forward leg 49 of the pressure lever 56 and rotates the lever 56 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 10'. The clockwise rotation of the lever 56 is suflicient for the magnet 16, which is engaging the pole piece 15, to pull the rod I0 downwardly and to engage the fixed contact H with the movable contacts 13 to close the circuit to the movable primary coil 91. This places the apparatus in condition so that it can .be used for arc welding, because as soon as the electrode in the electrode holder 2M engages the work piece which is connected to the other arc welding lead 240, an arc welding current will flow through the arc welding secondary coil NH. The circuit to the movable primary coil 91 has thus been closed by moving the handle 2 I 8 on cam 2 I! to the position 2l8A instead of by depressing the foot lever N4 of Figure 1. Since the foot lever H4 has not been depressed, the electrodes 34 and 35 carried by the arms 3! and 32 on the spot welding secondary coil 33 remain in their open position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and no current flows through the spot welding secondary 33.

When the cam 2 I 1 is rotated through a further angle of 90 degress so that the handle 2l8 is in the position shown at 2 [8B in Figures 11 and 12, the inclined upper surface of the cam 2 l I rotates the lever 56 clockwise through a further angle so that the rod H3 reaches the bottom end of its stroke and is disengaged from the magnet 16 whereby the compression spring 69 returns the upper insulating support member 68 to its upward position to disengage the contacts H and 13. When the handle is returned to the original position 2H5, the lever 56 is returned to its original position, the switch 66 is opened, the transformer is no longer continuously energized as for arc welding, and the unit may be used as a spot welder without further change.

When the contacts H and 13 have been opened by the disengagement of the magnet '15 from the pole piece 15 by turning the handle 2| 8 to the position 2 l 8B, it is not then possible to re-engage the contacts H and 13 to supply current to the primary coil 9'! by depressing the foot lever H4, and so the machine is effectively disconnected from its source of power supply so that no one could be injured by tampering with the machine, as for instance, by depressing the foot lever H4. The reason that the contacts II and 13 cannot be engaged when the cam 2 I 1 is so positioned, is that since the upward inclined surface of the plate 2!! has pushed the pressure lever 55 clockwise, it acts as a stop to prevent its rotation in the other or counterclockwise direction, and because of this mechanical stop so provided, the lever 56 cannot be rotated in the counterclockwise direction to close the switch 66, even by depressing the foot lever H4.

It will be apparent that my improved dual welder provides a compact unit which may be used either for spot welding or for arc welding as desired, and although there are two welders connected to the supply circuit, the maximum connected load will only be that of only one welder. In the illustrated embodiment this will be the spot welder since it has a greater output and machine. .welderonly, it is not necessary to'provide the .arc welding secondary coil NH and its output leads 239 and 240. eliminated, however, the spot-welderzstill hasa "continuously variable output by adjusting the requires more connected vpower than xdoes the arc welder.

\ -Whi1e Lhave illustrateda combined spot welder and arc welder, it is to be understood thatieither one or the other maybe eliminatedfrom the If the machine is to be used as aispot When these elements are vertical position of the primary coil J91 by:rotation of theknob I16. When so used as a-spot welder, the combined lever systemuand switch x66 for the primarycoil 91' illustrated:- in. Figure .10 is still used.

- When the unit'is intended: solely for use asan aarc welder, however, the integral 2- spot welding secondary-coil and its-electrode holding arms 31 and 32 .are :not used, and .theleversystem which closes theelectrodes and actuates the -switchof1Figure 10 is similarly not used. .In-this -case, the movable. primary coil 9'5 andamovable ashunt I81 .still affords :a'continuouslywariable current control from minimum .towmaximumiby electrodes until the proper welding pressure has:

been i applied -tothe work pieces; said system-also insuringthat thewelding pressure is notreduced before the welding current is disconnected. In cooperation -with the --novel lever and switch mechanism, the rotatable cam *ZI'I provides a novel meanswhereby the switch 66 in the circuit ofthe movable primary may be selectively used "to supply-an energizing current onlyf-or an instant duringspot welding or whereby the sarne switch may be usedto supply a continuouscur- "rent during arc '-welding. The same cam-also provides a safetyidevice-to prevent the energizing of the welding transformer by any one tampering with the machine or inadvertently .depressing the foot lever "H4.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a welding unit adapted to be used selectively for spot welding or for arc welding comprising, a transformer having a primary winding and secondary windings for spot welding and arc welding respectively, a switch in the supply line to said primary winding, a pair of electrode arms, at least one of said arms being movable toward the other to clamp work pieces between the electrodes carried thereby, a first lever connected to move said movable arm, a second lever having a pivotal connection to said unit, said first lever being pivotally mounted upon said second lever at a point longitudinally spaced from and parallel to i saidrpivotal: connectionzof :said second-leven -rexsilientimeanssopposing'movement of saidsecond I lever; whereby .said :first lever pivots about said secondlever to clamp the work pieces duringspot -we1ding,. means connecting said switch to said second lever, whereby pivotal movements-thereof "ofa.certainemounteffect closing ofsaid switch '1 and .movementsof a greater amount eifect opening of said switch, said second lever being pivoted 10 tdeffect closing and opening ofsaid switch by pivotal movements of said first lever for' 'sp'ot weldingaand further means for pivoting said secondleverto close said switch forarc welding; said further means-being effective to pivot'said second'leverJfurther to effect opening of said switch and to prevent operation I of said switch'by': said firstlever.

.2. :Inta -spot welding machine, a pair of elec- .trod'e arms, at least one of said arms b'eing 2() mOVa.b1e toward'the other to-clamp workpieces between th electrodes carried thereby; 1 a dust lever! connected to move said movable arm a second:. lever having a pivotal connection to "said machine, said first lever being pivotallymounted upon 'said second leverat a point longitudinally I 'clampthe work pieces; and then pivots about said wpivotall connection to th machine to apply welding pressure to the work pieces.

3. In themachine'describd in claim 2, means for adjusting the welding pressure applied to the 5 work by controlling the initialresistance of 'said resilientmeans.

4.- In-the machine describe'din claim 2, a switch operable to-supply electrical current to the machine; means connecting-said switch to said sec- -ond lever, saidmeans'being effective to move said -'-switch to closed position and to release said :sWitch during the resiliently opposed movement ofsaidi second lever,-and meansfor openingsaid switchafter said release.

5. In the machine described in claim '2, a nor- "mally opensw'itch connectedtosupply electrical -rcurre'nt to the machine when closed; resilient means opposing movement of said switch towards :closed position; and mag'netic means coupling said switch to said second lever whereby-said switch' is moved to closed position and then re- :leased :during'the movement of said secondlever, and means for opening said switch after said release.

6. In a welding machine, a fixed transformer core; a resilient and deformable spot welding secondary coil on said core; said coil being deformable transversely to the planes of the coil turns; electrode arms integral with and protruding from said coil; means fixing said coil with respect to said core at a point where an arm joins said coil; and means for moving the other arm towards said fixed arm to clamp work pieces therebetween; said last mentioned means comprising a, lever connected at one end of the movable arm, said lever being pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing said electrode arms and lying midpoint of the height and width of said coil.

7. In a. welding machine, a fixed transformer core, a housing therefor; a resilient and deformable spot welding secondary coil on said core; said coil being deformable transversely to the coil turns; electrode arms integral with and protruding from said coil; means fixing said coil with respect to said core at a point where an arm Y joins said coil; and means for moving the other arm towards said fixed arm to clamp work pieces therebetween, said arm moving means comprising a lever connected to said other arm and pivotally mounted upon. said housing about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing said electrode arms and lying midpoint of the height and width of said coil.

8. In a welding machine, a fixed transformer core, a housing therefor, a resilient and deformable spot welding secondary coil on said core; said coil being deformable transversely to the planes of the coil turns; electrode arms integral with and protruding from said coil; means fixing said coil with respect to said core at a point where an arm joins said coil; and means for moving the other arm towards said fixed arm to clamp work pieces between the electrodes attached to said arms, said arm moving mean-s comprising a lever rigidly connected to said other arm adjacent the point where it joins the coil, and pivotally mounted upon said housing about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing said electrode arms and lying midpoint of the height and width of the coil.

9. A spot welding transformer element comprising a resilient secondary coil of high conductance metal terminating at its ends in a pair of rigid electrode arms integral with said coil; and

means where one of said arms joins said coil for fixedly attaching the element to a support.

10. A spot welding transformer element comprising a resilient secondary coil of high conductance metal; a pair of electrode arms rigidly attached to said coil; and means adjacent where one of said arms is attached to the coil for fixedly attaching said element to a support.

11. A spot welding transformer element comprising a resilient secondary coil of high conductance metal; a pair of electrode arms rigidly connected to said coil at the ends thereof; means Where one of said arms joins said coil for fixedly attaching the coil to a support; and means where the other arm joins the coil providing a connection for means operable to deform the coil to move said arms towards each other against the force provided by the resilience of the coil.

12. A spot welding transformer element comprising a resilient secondary coil of high conductance metal terminating at its ends in a pair of rigid electrod arms integral with said coil;

1 means where one of said arms joins said coil for fixedly attaching the element to a support; and means where the other arm joins said coil providing a connection for means operable to move said other arm towards the first arm.

13. A spot Welding transformer element comprising a resilient secondary coil of high conductance metal terminating at its ends in a pair of electrode arms extending radially outward from the coil and integral therewith, the turns forming said coil being split to reduce the stress therein arms integral with said coil; and means where one of said arms joins said coil for fixedly attaching the element to a support.

ULYSSES S. DUNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 452,042 Ries May 12, 1891 1,086,042 Gravell Feb. 3, 1914 1,145,413 Hatch July 6, 1915 1,312,845 Gravell Aug. 12, 1919 1,506,698 W aters Aug. 26, 1924 1,519,062 Schroder Dec 9, 1924 1,548,397 Taylor Aug. 4, 1925 1,674,679 Taylor June 26, 1928 1,985,512 lvieadowcraft Jan. 1, 1935 1,988,537 Breguet Jan. 22, 1935 2,170,700 Von Henke Aug. 22, 1939 2,254,309 Perry Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 117,601 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1926 

